An Analysis of the Impact of Social Media Marketing on Brand Presence and Image:a Case of Oreo Cookies

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Before this traditional branding worked because the entertainment media consisted of oligopolies and competition was limited. There were fewer channels for distribution of media and brand content and companies could force their way into the consumer's lives with paid advertisements that the audience could not opt out of. But with new technologies entering the market customers could opt out of ads and companies had to market their brands independently and could not force it upon people(Holt, 2016). Social media’s acceptance can also be attributed to technological acceptance, cultural change and a change in the business environment. People have become more tech savvy as technology has helped cut costs associated to certain things and made it easier for people to manage their lives better. A research has shown that six among ten senior citizens(65 and older) go online and almost half of them have high speed broadband connections at home(Smith, 2014). Culturally social media has opened all the boundaries for people all over the world, people are now more aware and open to new ideas. When the competition starts to adapt to new technology, you have to jump on the wagon and embrace it(Dahnil et al., 2014). Xerox and Kodak are examples of companies who failed to innovate when the time came and were easily beaten by their competitors(Mui, 2012). More research has been done on pharmaceutical , restaurant and construction companies on the use of social media marketing as a way of integrating business to consumers(Kevin, 2009; Gupta and Udupa, 2011).

The Growing Acceptance of Social Media as a Marketing Tool

Companies can interact with customers in real time dialogue and build brand loyalty using social media(Jackson,2011). As mentioned above, companies need to innovate to keep up with the competition. Social media platforms are being used in an increasing manner by all types of businesses to communicate CSR (Jones, 2010; Zerfass et al., 2011, 2012). Recently, various commentators have suggested that social media are shifting the balance of power in relation to the brand from the organisation to the consumer (Bernoff and Li, 2008; Fisher and Smith, 2011). A recent study showed that more than 80% of marketers want to create more video content in 2017. The study collected data from a sample size of 1,200 marketers who specifically named Facebook and YouTube as two of the key channels they want to emphasize on more in 2017(Interactive, 2017). If social media marketing is approached properly on these platforms, business owners could find talent, cut costs and most importantly build brand awareness(Weston, 2008). If you look at some of the social media platforms you can see that they generate a lot of revenue from marketing online. Instagram for Facebook’s ad revenue grew by 59%(Lister, 2017). According to a report by (eMarketer, 2014), 88% of companies in the United States were using social media for marketing purposes. In another report by eMarketer 70 % of the marketers from the selected sample said they planned to use social video advertisements in the following year(eMarketer, 2016). Marketers all over the world are increasingly adopting to social media marketing and experiencing positive results. A staggering 63% of marketers are using social media for marketing for at least 6 hours per week and 39% use it for more than 11 hours a week(Stelzner, 2016). According to sales expert Colleen Francis, she has seen people pursue leads using social media and end up with sales of between $30,000 and $250,000(Smith, 2014). One report from Aberdeen Group says that 83% of all marketers actively engage in social media marketing efforts and 46% of sales executives are hitting their quotas.

How social media marketing has impacted brand presence and brand Image of various brands

Traditional marketing had a more tangible approach with billboards, print ads, TV etc. On the other hand digital marketing has cut all those costs and made everything doable online. Social media has enhanced brand recognition, increased trust through credible sources and increased cash and customers. In terms of brand recognition it's simple, the more your brand appears online the more exposure it will get. If you google a certain brand it pops up a few times it's obviously going to get the attention of the customer. Similarly a customer’s trust increases in a certain brand if the brand get recommended by a credible source(Leland, 2016). Hokey Pokey, a premium ice cream retailer in India used a 7 step framework to identify and recruit influential individuals on social media to promote word of mouth. As a result of this campaign the company saw a growth of 40% in sales, 83% ROI and 49% in brand awareness(Kumar & Mirchandani, 2012). Around 88% of marketers who have been using social media as a marketing tool for one year or more expressed that it has increased exposure for their brands. For those using social media for a year or longer, search rankings have improved by more than 54%. Similarly by using social media for 6 hours a week participants of the survey showed there was a 79% increase in traffic(Stelzner, 2016). 60% of consumers researching for brands and products online revealed that they learned about specific brand through social media and Nielsen’s Global Online Survey showed that 2 out of 3 people were highly influenced by advertising through a social channel(Nielsen) . Oreo Cookies focus on creativity for their online media marketing and develop beautiful and content to engage their millions of followers(Whitfield, 2017). Consumers want easy access to up to date information about the products and services they like hence companies have focused on online loyalty programs and the development of mobile applications. Companies like Coca-Cola and Apple are successful examples of companies who have taken advantage of social media to promote brand presence. People use social media to socialize and exchange opinions with their peers and in some cases large communities of followers. It is very common that they talk about brands they like and recommend them to other people in their social circles. Brand image is equal to brand reputation and as social media works in real time, it does not take long for word to travel about brands(Singca, 2015). A good brand image and positive awareness is hard to portray in today's times. Although price, product, and promotion strategies are usually central elements to social marketing campaigns, reaching the desired target audience at the Place where health decisions are made is often a challenge (Grier & Kumanyika, 2010). .

Consumers want easy access to up to date information about the products and services they like hence companies